Melville to end YMCA contract, partner with Right at School for before-and-after programs

The Melville School District Board voted 7–0 to end its current partnership with the YMCA and to enter a new agreement with Right at School to provide before- and after-school programming beginning in the 2026–27 school year. Chad DeKemper, associate superintendent, presented the proposed change and said Right at School offers expanded options that district families do not currently have, including a drop-in day rate and pre-K programming that could support an expansion of full-day early-childhood options.

“Right at School has an increasing presence in the Saint Louis area,” DeKemper said. He told the board he visited a Right at School program and observed structured offerings — including languages and enrichment rotations — and that the vendor commits to real-time responsiveness for drop-in availability. Board members asked whether drop-in coverage would include both morning and afternoon sessions; DeKemper said it would. The administration provided pricing examples and summer-camp costs for 2026–27 in the board packet.

The board passed two motions. First, a motion to end the YMCA partnership at the close of the 2025–26 school year passed 7–0. Second, a motion to enter an agreement with Right at School to provide the district’s before-and-after programming beginning 2026–27 passed 7–0. The administration said existing sites would continue to be served and that Right at School’s offerings include pre-K supports, discovery clubs, seasonal camps and a 10-day punch-card drop-in option the district does not currently offer. No budget detail for the transition was adopted that night beyond the vendor pricing included in the packet; the board directed administration to finalize the contracts and notify families of the change.